Year	I cannot be certain where the surname of Geddes originated. The name is certainly linked with ancient Clan names of Gordon, Scot and Rose whose lands could be found in various parts of Scotland but were predominately located in the north between Aberdeen and Loch Ness.       There is in fact a place name of, 'Meikle Geddes' just south of Drummossie and so the name may indeed have ancient origins.        From the limited research I have done to date, it would appear that my paternal liniege lived in around the Edinburgh area, at least for the greater part of the 1800's. My paternal grand father moved briefly to Dunbarton (after his marriage to Ann Brannan in 1895), before relocating to Fife.
1637	Sunday 23rd. July:       A riot erupted in St. Giles Cathedral when the Dean began reading from the new prayer book. 'Traitor!' cried Jenny Geddes, hurling her stool at the Dean. 'Dost thou say Mass at my lug.'  An excert from, 'Pocket History of Scotland'.        I have no idea if Jenny Geddes has any ancestral link to my family but I would love to find out.
1810	Here are six known names of my Paternal Great Great Grandparents (four generations). The birth date cannot be taken as accurate but should be within five to ten years or so. John Geddes:  Presumed to be born in East Lothian. Isobella Beaton: Wife to John Geddes. Presumably born in East Lothian. John McMenmy: Believed to have been born in Northern Ireland. Mary McMenemy: Wife to John McMenemy. Believed to have been born in Northern Ireland. Michael Brannan: Believe he was born in Southern Ireland. Do not have any knowledge of his wife. Peter McCormack: Believe he was born in Southern Ireland. Do not have any knowledge of his wife.
1828	John Geddes married Isobella Beaton on 3rd. March 1826 at Liberton, Midlothian. They were my Paternal Great Great Grandparents. The couple were married in the Episcopalian Church. John was working as a Ploughman at Niddrie Hall, Liberton. Isobella was residing in the Parish of Inveresk, Midlothian. Her father, William, who lived at Dudingston, was deceased. John and Isobella, had five known children. They probably travelled around the County as their children were all christened in different parishes.   Known Children: William Geddes: Christened 4th. January 1829 at Liberton, Midlothian. Margaret Geddes: Christened 30th. November 1831 at Newton, Midlothian. Euphemia Geddes: Christened 4th. January 1833 at Cockpen, Midloathian. John Geddes: Christened 19th. July 1835 at Duddingston, Midlothian. Alexander Geddes: Christened 1838 at Duddingston, Midlothian. (Paternal Great Grandfather).
1830	Church.
1832	Church.
1858	March 25th. Bolton, East Lothian, Scotland.       Alexander Geddes aged 20 years, married Rosina McMenemy aged 19 years in the Episcopalian Church. Paternal Great Grand Parents.       Alexander and Rosina had nine known children, possible ten if we include Mary whose information is rather sketchy. The other family members are:- Isabella Geddes:  Born in Liberton, on the 16th. of August 1859. Margaret Geddes:  Born in Borthwick, on 5th. January 1861. Rosa Ann Geddes:  Born Gladsmuir, on 25th. June 1863. Euphemia Geddes:  Born Pencaitland, 3rd. March 1865. John Geddes:  Born Inveresk, on 5th. January 1868. Robert Geddes:  Born Newton, during 1871. Williamina Geddes:  Born Inveresk 30th. January 1873. Alexander Geddes:  Born Liberton, on 16th. December 1874. Paternal Grandfather. Catherine Geddes:  Born Liberton, on 28th. August 1876.
1865	June 25th. Gateshead, England.        Martin Brannan married Catherine Clark (nee McCormack) in St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church. Catherine was a widow. They were my paternal Great Grandparents. Both Martin and Catherine were born in Southern Ireland. Catherine could not have been any older than 25 years as she gave her age as 50 at the time of the 1891 Census.          Martin and Catherine had three known children:- John Brannan:  Born in County Durham, England about 1867. Ann Brannan:  Born in Edinburgh about 1874. Paternal Grandmother. Catherine Brannan:  Born in Lasswade, Midlothian about 1877.         Family tradition has it that Cartherine was present at the, 'Battle of Widow McCormack's Cabbage Patch' which took place in 1848 at Ballingarry, Southern Ireland. She would have been between 6 and 9 years old. The battle occurred when a body of armed policemen took over the Widow's house where she was caring for five children all of whom were under ten years old. Armed rebels surrounded the house, shots were exchanged and some of the rebels perished. According to Catherine's marriage certificate to Martin Brannan on the 16th. of July 1865 at Gateshead, her Father Peter McCormack was still alive so Widow McCormack could not in all probability be Catherine's Mother. However it is conceivable she may have been a close relative to Widow McCormack, possible a niece and indeed may have had first hand experience of the battle. As the oral tadition within the family goes back a considerable time (my father related it to me for the first time in 1965), I firmly believe that she either witnessed it or was a participant.
1881	According to the British Census of 1881, Alexander and Rosina Geddes (nee McMenemy) and their nine children were living in a dwelling known as Old Craighall, Inveresk, Edinburgh.
1891	According to the British Census of 1891, Catherine Brannan (nee McCormack) was widowed and living at 12, Napier Street, Prydes Block, Penicuik, with her son John aged 24 (who was at the time a widower), daughter Ann Brannan aged 17, a paper factory worker and her daughter Elizabeth Brannan aged 14 who was listed as a scholar.
1895	November 22nd. Valeview, Penicuik, Midlothian.              Alexander Geddes, aged 21, married Annie Brannan (Paternal Grand Parents), aged 22, in the Scottish Episcopalian Church. The marriage was witnessed by William Rintoul and Catherine Geddes (presumably Alexander's sister). It is interesteing to note that Annie Brannan was raised as a Roman Catholic and indeed she raised all her children to be Catholics but she was married in the protestant church. Her sister Elizabeth would have been at least 18 years old but does not appear as a witness. Could the marriage have been the cause of a family crisis that resulted in Elizabeth being excluded from the wedding plans or simply as a Roman Catholic she would have been unable to sign the register as a witness?               I believe this is a photograph of Alexander Geddes and Ann Brannan at or near the date of their wedding in 1895. Alexander's occupation was given as an ironstone miner and Ann worked in a paper mill, presumably in Lasswade.             They had eleven known children:- Catherine Geddes:  Born 3rd. March 1896 at 23 Napier Street, Penicuik. Alexander Geddes:  Born 5th. December 1897 at Croy Rows near                                  Cumbernauld, Dunbarton. Martin Geddes:  Born 12th. October 1899 at Croy Rows near Cumbernauld,                           Dunbarton. John Geddes:  Born 27th. January 1902 at Croy Rows near Cimbernauld,                          Dunbarton. Robert Geddes:  Date of birth unknown Circa 1903. Believe to be                           Cumbernauld. Michael Geddes:  Born 20th. March 1904 at 89 South Glengraig, Fife. Rosina Geddes:  Born 24th. May 1906 at 89 South Glengraig, Fife. Anne Geddes:  Born Circa 1910 at 89 South Glengraig, Fife. William Geddes:  Born Circa 1912 at 89 South Glengraig, Fife. James Geddes:  Born 28th. January 1915 at 89 South Glengraig, Fife.
1896	I was informed that these two ladies were the Brannan sisters, Ann and Elizabeth but I am of the opinion, and I have no information to substantiate my belief, the ladies were Ann Brannan (seated) and Catherine Geddes (standing).         The seated lady has a stiking reemblence to the young women seated beside Alexander Geddes (the picture above which I have presumed to Alexander and Ann's wedding picture).          The girl standing appears to have a ring on her the third finger of her left hand.
1897	Between the birth of their daughter Catherine in March, 1896 and the birth of their son Alexander in December 1897, Alex and Ann relocated to the small mining village of Croy, near Cumbernauld in Dunbarton. Whether the mine he had been working in had finished or there was some other factors, we shall probably never know.        It would be interesting to know if they had any family in the Cumbernauld vicinity or previous knowledge of the area.
1902	After the birth of their son John in 1902 and before the birth of their son, Michael in 1904, Alexander and his wife Ann moved to Glengraig in Fife.       The mining industry would transform the small rural hamlets of Glengraig, Crosshill and Lochore.       The Wilson & Clyde Coal Company, the owners of Glengraig Colliery, built around four hundred houses to accomadate the influx of, 'immigrant', workers. North and South Glengraig took shape.        As far as I am aware, Alexander, most of his sons and a substantial number of his grandsons worked at Glengraig Colliery at some time over the following sixty years.                       The Glengraig which Alexander and Ann Geddes would have experienced on their arrival at the beginning of 1900's would have been a grim site.          There was of course fresh water pumped into each of the new houses from the nearby Glengraig Colliery, a remarkable inovation for the period, but the roads were no better than dirt tracks which would have produced a very dusty environment in the summer and a muddy quagmire in the spring and autumn months.             The picture above which was published in, 'FIFE THE MINING KINGDOM', written by Guthrie Hutton and produced by Stenlake Publishing in 1999, shows the roadway up to South Glengraig which was opposite building which would become the Lochgelly Co-op Store.     It was to 89, South Glengraig that Alexander and Ann Geddes would live and raise their family for thirty years.     The Village, straddled two parishes. North Glengraig was part of the parish of Ballingry and South Glengraig was associated with Auchterderran Parish.
1906	The two boys were dressed up for a reason.                 I believe, and I have no information to substantiate my opinion, that it was 1906 and the picture was taken at the back of 89, South Glengraig, the home of Alexander and Ann Geddes.           The occasion may have been the christening of Rosina Geddes, born on the 24th. May 1906.            If I am correct, the lady was Ann Geddes (nee Brannan) and the two boys were her sons Alexander who would have been almost ten and his younger brother, Martin who would have been seven years.
1912	23rd. January. 17, Fielsend, Penicuik, Midlothian.        Rosina Geddes (nee McMenemmy) my Paternal Great Grandmother, died of Enterites.           Martin Geddes, Rosina's Grandson who would have been been thirteen at that time of her death, informed me that when he was a teenager, he recalls that a very old man with a long grey beard and a defined stoop, came to visit them at Glengraig. I can only presume that this was his Grandfather, Alexander Geddes who would have been almost 74 years old, had come to inform the family of the death of Rosina.
1913	Catherine Geddes daughter of Alexander Geddes and Ann Brannan, married Malcolm McCallum.              As far as I know, Catherine Geddes and Malcolm McCallum had seven children, all of whom were born in Fife.        This delightful photograph was taken sometime in the 1940's and shows four generations of females and includes:-   Ann Geddes (nee Brannan). Born 24th. June 1873 - seated with baby -  mother to -   Catherine McCallum (nee Geddes). Born 3rd. January 1896 - seated - mother to -   Annie Bailey (nee McCallum). Born 1919 - standing - proud mother of baby   Catherine Bailey. Born 1940's
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